Dropkick Murphys / Only Crime: live in Providencelive in Providence (2004)Hellcat Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on May 4th 2004This annual carnival/festival my school holds apparently includes a concert at each one. Two of the bands they managed to snag this year were Only Crime, the recent Fat signing, and the Dropkick Murphys.
Although most of you are already in the know, I'll remind everyone that Only Crime contains .

This annual carnival/festival my school holds apparently includes a concert at each one. Two of the bands they managed to snag this year were Only Crime, the recent Fat signing, and the Dropkick Murphys.

Although most of you are already in the know, I'll remind everyone that Only Crime contains Russ Rankin (Good Riddance) on vocals, Aaron Dalbec (Bane, Converge) and Zach Blair (Hagfish, Gwar) on guitars, Donivan Blair (Hagfish) on bass, and Bill Stevenson (Descendants / All, Black Flag) on drums. With only a dozen or so people watching, and even less interested, the entire band still put forth a half-hour of energetic hardcore. There're occasional hints of melody in the songs but nothing to register a "melodic" sticker, and a consistency in the tempos and feel that bring the Bane influence to mind. Stevenson was a menace on the percussions, and Rankin hopped around joey-like leading the charge. As a whole, the band seemed unusually cohesive and tight considering they haven't been together all that long.

The Murphys had played several college shows in the last few weeks with overall mixed reactions and I was unsure how mine would respond. But as the band took the stage to thunderous cheer and applause following a short chant of "Let's-Go-Mur-phys!", all worries ceased. As soon as Al's gravel said hello to our city and the band ripped right into the raucous rendition of "Boston Ashpalt," the pit surprisingly ensued and pointing fingers clipped the afternoon air. For the next hour, the band incited sing-along after chant-along, an ethereal environment under the tent. After all, Dropkick has said in interviews "We need that eighth member of the band: the audience." Besides some complaints about the lack of cuisine creativity in the catering from a culinary college and asking us if we want some rock and roll preceding their AC/DC cover, there was very little in-between banter, and it seemed like they got in as many songs as possible. There were songs from the entire discography, per usual. Among mic sharing gang vocals, the dead-on flute part in "Heroes of Our Past," Al often leaning over the wide-open barricade to stick the mic into the crowd to give them their chance, it really was just a feel-good atmosphere. Things were capped off with a great cover of "Teenage Wasteland."

There really shouldn't be a need for anyone to be told the good time that can be had watching the Murphys perform, so let this act as a timely reminder.

I remember seeing DKM way back on the Unity Tour (w/ US Bombs & Agnostic Front)in St. Petersburg... It was their first tour w/ Al Barr singing... Before The Gangs All Here came out... Everybody was eager to see how the singer from the Bruisers would fill Mike's shoes as the singer and Al just blew the roof off the place... They came out and just ripped through all of Do or Die with some of their earlier stuff thrown in... They blew every other band playing that night off the stage (US Bombs & Agnostic Front are two of my favorite bands of all time and they put on one helluva show, but they didn't even hold a candle to DKM)...

Many years have passed and most of the guys in DKM that night are gone and I still go and check them out now and then... I even got fooled by the epitaph-hype and bought Blackout (I was very disappointed). In the end i'll always have a soft spot for this band because of the first few shows I saw them at... So this score is for that performance.

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

There was comment on the board about Only Crime sounding like AFI a while back when it was first announced they were on fat...the funny thing is that I think the guy was making a reference to the Journal on their website, cuz in there a kid from a band that opened for them asks russ, "Do you guys like AFI, cuz you guys were really agressive on stage." Oh my god, that's so hilarious.

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

i'm really looking forward to hearing only crime, but the score is for dropkick. their last good album was do or die, and their live act got tired around that time, too.

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

"Mr. Kenzington is very, very dumb. Hook line and sinker buddy."

Judging by some of the posts I've seen before, it was difficult to tell whether or not that was a joke. You sure got me you witty motherfucker!
Mr. Kenzington
P.S. Add a comma after "Hook" next time.

Anonymous (May 6, 2004)

Mr. Kenzington is very, very dumb. Hook line and sinker buddy.

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

I saw this show at the hampton beach casino only it was better because Darkbuster played and Darkbuster rules.

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

"I had heard these guys sound like the Bosstones and then I went to see them and their horn players were sick that night or something. They weren't bad though."

Wow. That's some funny shit. Yeah, uhhh, the horn players for the Murphy's got the flu that night. So did the organ player. Good thing the bagpipes were there to keep the ska punk sound in tact. Someone help this dude out.
Mr. Kenzington

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

i havent seen dmk in a long time. they need to come back to so cal and tear shit up here again.

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

Set List
For Boston
Legend of Finn MacCumhail
Heroes of Our Past
The Outcast
Good Rats
Gonna Be a Blackout...
Walk Away
Rocky Road to Dublin
Buried Alive
---------------------
Caught in a Jar
Dirty Glass
Bastards on Parade
The Gauntlet
Barroom Hero
Long Way to the Top
Black Velvet Band
Spicy McHaggis Jig
Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced
Boys on the Docks
Baba O'Reilly
------------------------

Anonymous (May 5, 2004)

Reviewer is a goddamnit idiot. Write out the fucking song names you chode.

"Is it just me, or is anyone else horribly confused by the way the setlist was typed out. I can make out about what 2 of those songs are and I know my DKM. Oh well. Sounds like it was a good time had by all."

I agree. This reviewer does it all the time. Kind of frustrating.

Anonymous (May 4, 2004)

Only Crime own your mother. Sexually. This score is for those who take DKM seriously...

Is it just me, or is anyone else horribly confused by the way the setlist was typed out. I can make out about what 2 of those songs are and I know my DKM. Oh well. Sounds like it was a good time had by all.